Abstract
Reconstructing the parallel structure of ‘dual’ and ‘school-based’ vocational routes reveals the close connection between the German vocational training system and the segmentation of the labour market by gender. The example of jobs in childcare and pre-primary education shows that the legacy of semi-professionalism in these occupations is not just rooted in the nature of training and working conditions, but complexly interlinks with the prevalence of the male breadwinner model sustained by social policy regulations and the German taxation system. In France, by contrast, the central state takes responsibility for the provision of childcare from zero to six years of age to support female labour force participation and dual-earner couples. This has also fostered professionalisation in the respective occupations. Whilst this may not necessarily induce a degendering process at the level of horizontal segregation of vocational qualifications, it facilitates gender equality in terms of vertical mobility and the professional status of women.
Highlights
Within the OECD countries, the German system of vocational education and training (VET) remains central to economic prosperity and social mobility
Even under conditions of globalisation, welfare state restructuring and the recent economic crisis, the dual apprenticeship system1 upholds a model function, mainly because it can be directly linked to low rates of youth unemployment (OECD 2013a) and the sustainable production of skilled labour
These advantages persist despite demographic shifts and related possible future staff shortages
Summary
Within the OECD countries, the German system of vocational education and training (VET) remains central to economic prosperity and social mobility. In an international comparative perspective, two characteristic features of the German welfare state and economy significantly contribute to upholding distinctive labour market segmentation by gender: first, the specific connection between skill formation and the labour market resulting from the VET system; and second, the prevalence of the male breadwinner model that makes it likely for women to remain the secondary wage earner.
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